Duke of Thorns (Heiress Games 1)
Page 29
Lucy’s smile was equally tentative, but it seemed real enough. “Thank you for that. If you must know, I think you made the better bargain.”
Callie thought again of princesses and villains as Lucretia walked away. “Which of them do you think will win Maidenstone?”
Thorington shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Do you regret that Ferguson won’t give it to you? I know how much winning Maidenstone meant to you.”
She heard that tentative note in his voice again, the one she thought had died forever in the Maidenstone clearing. She turned to him, meeting his gaze. “I believed I wanted the house. But what I really wanted was a place to call my own.”
“I have any number of houses you can call your own,” he said. “You might even like my country estate better than Maidenstone. And my house in London will be far more convenient for you to conduct business from.”
Callie shrugged. “The houses don’t matter, as long as you come with them.”
Thorington looked down at her. She was as beautiful as ever, with her hair caught up in an intricate knot and woven through with orange blossoms. But it was the mischievous spark in her eyes that made his heart beat faster.
“When I steal you, I don’t intend to let you out of my bed for at least a fortnight,” he murmured in her ear.
“Perhaps I shall steal you instead,” she mused. “It’s possible to smuggle a man anywhere for a price.”
God, she was magnificent. He laughed, and the happy thrum in his voice didn’t feel so foreign anymore. “Do your worst, my love. I vow it will be the best.”
She leaned up and kissed him, soft and full of promise. “I vow it, too. Now, your grace, will you play the blackguard and kidnap me before anyone else interrupts us?”
With an invitation like that, he couldn’t resist.
THE END
Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading Callie and Thorington’s story! If you enjoyed it, you'll be happy to hear that there’s more to come in the Heiress Games series. Octavia’s story is up next — she finds unexpected love and redemption with Rafe in Lord of Deceit, which will come out in the summer of 2015. Please sign up for my newsletter and I’ll let you know as soon as it’s available.
If you missed my previous series, Ferguson, Madeleine, Prudence, and Alex were all introduced in earlier books. You can catch up with them in the Muses of Mayfair series:
It all starts with Heiress Without a Cause, in which Madeleine and Ferguson engage in a madcap courtship.
Amelia and Malcolm steal sheep and hearts in Scotsmen Prefer Blondes.
Ellie and Nick find love instead of revenge in The Marquess Who Loved Me.
Prudence and Alex go from friends to lovers in The Earl Who Played With Fire.
You can buy all four books by clicking the links above.
Again, to hear about future books, please make sure to sign up for my newsletter. I only send emails when I have a new release or major announcement. If you want behind-the-scenes peeks into my writing life (warning: they usually involve Champagne and historical facts), or if you just want to connect, you can also friend me on Twitter or Facebook.
Finally, if you enjoyed this book, please tell a friend — the best compliment you can give is to pass the book along to someone else. If you didn’t enjoy it, you can recommend it to an enemy — I won’t tell. And if you really want to spread the word, rating the book or writing an honest review is always very much appreciated. Thanks again for your support, and happy reading!
Books by Sara Ramsey
Muses of Mayfair
Heiress Without a Cause
Scotsmen Prefer Blondes
The Marquess Who Loved Me
The Earl Who Played With Fire
The Heiress Games
Duke of Thorns
Lord of Deceit - Rafe and Octavia, coming Summer 2015
To hear about future books as they are released, please sign up for my newsletter.
About the author
Sara Ramsey writes fun, feisty Regency historical romances. She won the prestigious 2009 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award with her second book, Scotsmen Prefer Blondes. Her first book, Heiress Without A Cause, was a 2011 Golden Heart finalist.
Hopelessly uncool as a child, Sara Ramsey has overcompensated by becoming obsessed with fashion, shoes, and #regencyworldproblems. She has great taste in Champagne, bad taste in movies, and a penchant for tiaras. She also believes in taking naps, wearing sunglasses at night, and using Oxford commas. Sara currently lives in San Francisco, California, where she can be found drinking overly-artistic lattes and working on her next Regency historical romance. Read all about her Regency obsessions and upcoming works at www.sararamsey.com.
Duke of Thorns is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidences are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The Publisher does not have any control over and does not assume responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2014 Sara Wampler
All Rights Reserved.
Cover Design by Patricia Schmitt (Pickyme)
Cover Photography by Jenn LeBlanc
ISBN (epub): 978-1-938312-08-3
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-938312-09-0
Table of Contents
Title page
Dedication
Poem
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Thank you
Books by Sara Ramsey
About the author
Copyright